Eve and the Serpent Slayer (Gen 3:8–15)
Eve and the Serpent Slayer
Sticky: Jesus took all our blame so that God could heal all our shame.
Intro
Not many of us want to be open and share our sins and failures with others. I remember over the summer as there were so many transitions happening in my life, noticing that I have a frustration and anger problem, especially when things didn’t go my way. It looked like me stewing and ruminating and being consumed by things, even for a whole day. Yet, none of you, save my wife, have ever seen it or know about it. Why? Because, like all of us, I’ve learned to cover it up and hide my sins and failures.
I’ve seen something similar in our church community where people who are stuck in pattern of sin and shame don’t come forward and ask for help, but withdraw and hide.
What if I told you that a similar pattern of hiding when we fail dates all the way back to our first parents? It’s nothing new. And that this tendency continues to wreak havoc on our relationship with God and other people in our community?
In our passage today, God provides a solution to this problem. I invite you to join me in Gen 3:8-15 as we walk through this story:
Context
Left off a low point in history: “very good” and “naked and unashamed.”
Adam failed to “guard.” A beast he’s supposed to rule comes and rules him and his wife.
They question God’s goodness and then disobey him. They committed treason.
Now God shows up…
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
They are putting together clothes from leaves. “We can fix this”
Suddenly, they hear what fills them with dread, God approaching. How wonderful to live in garden with God? Yet, something is different this time. Fear and panic fill the humans.
“In the cool of the day” could be breezy time at night. Humans used to walking with God.
Disobedience has changed their perception of God. Disobedience has changed God’s role, judge.[1]
Sad reality: Humans are fleeing from God’s presence, what they should want more than all.
Yet, they can’t escape God. He’s going pursue them, yet it’s surprising how he does.
9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
We might expect God to condemn or destroy rebellious humans. Instead, he asks a question.
Notice whom God asks, the man. Why? God created man first, gave him the command, God gave the man more authority and accountability. God holds him responsible first.
In Bible, having authority not about privileges or controlling others. It’s about others flourishing. So, Adam’s wife falls and all their children will be born into fallen world, Adam must answer.
“Where are you?” Not unaware, but drawing attention to fact Adam is fleeing. Highlight gulit.
By asking question, God giving Adam a chance to respond. Amazing in itself.
Do you see? God is patiently pursing Adam, leaving a way out. God provided everything so far.
Could provide in this moment of greatest need. How does Adam respond?
10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.”
Adam gives a guarded answer. Says that’s God’s presence scares him now.
Because he knows he’s naked. Adam’s voicing something new, he has a sense of shame.
Tells true things, yet does not reveal everything. How many of us respond similarly?
This is not the complete answer God was seeking, and in his goodness he presses on.
11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
God’s first question draws attention to fact that Adam would not know he’s naked w/o sin.
God’s second question directly confronts Adam for his sin and beckons him to confess his sin.
God’s direct questions about sin are a loving way for him to confront sinful Adam.
God’s question leaves Adam at point of decision: continue fleeing from God or flee to God?
12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”
This makes me sad. Does not admit sin; throws wife under bus.
Treats greatest treasure as a scape goat. Tries to sacrifice her for his sins.
Sin spoils intimacy with one another (not just God). Turns against wife to save self.
Be watchful of blaming others for your sins. We try to clear our sin by blaming. You?
Blames not woman, but God. When use our circumstances or God as excuse for sin, this is us.
Do you ever have this response? I was stuck here this summer, justifying anger by circumstances.
We blame spouse, parents, our circumstances. All these impact, but none decides.
Key to restoration is coming to grips with the reality that only we can decide to sin for self.
Why? As long as we are blaming someone or something, we can’t come to God for mercy.
How will God respond at this moment?
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
God moves onto Eve. Not affirming Adam right, but moved on because Adam hardened heart.
God patiently pursues, but if we persistently harden, God withdraws. Don’t harden your heart.
How will the woman respond? Another tragedy: she learned to blame others from her husband.[2]
Husbands: Be warned, your family is learning how to respond when you sin.
Parents: be warned; your kids are learning from you how to respond to sin.
God also moves on from Eve since she demonstrates the same hardness of heart.
14 The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
God’s treats serpent differently: no questions, no chance to respond, only condemnation.
Rightly so: serpent (who is Satan) already in open rebellion and had worked to ruin creation.
“Because you have done this” = you influenced the humans to disobey me
“Cursed are you…” Judgment from God will befall this serpent beyond all others. This is not specifically snakes; it’s Satan whose inhabiting snake. When we see snakes slither, it’s a picture.
What’s it a picture of? Total defeat; being under the feet of others.[3]
Quite a statement since the serpent has victory thus far. Promise will clarify how serpent will lose.
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
“enmity” = hostility. There will be a conflict or a war that unfolds.[4]
As part of curse, serpent will face hostility from woman’s offspring (and he’ll continue with his).
Why is this conflict between Eve and the serpent rather than Adam? At this point, Adam begins to fade. It’s likely God meant to be leader of humans. Since he failed, humans need a new one.
That’s where offspring comes in. Offspring is ambiguous- in other passages. Especially, a single male offspring B/c 3rd singular. He will replace Adam and become the new leader of human race.
God promises, “he will bruise…” There will be combat between them. Offspring bruises head of serpent (language that suggests decisive fatal blow). Serpent bruises heel of offspring (language that’s unclear if it’s fatal or not.
Though this sacrificial, wounded offspring, God promises to bring a fatal blow to the serpent, and therefore to undo the effects of his works on the humans and the world.
Adam and Eve (and all) need this promised one more than anything in the world. Story of Bible is full of failed humans. Generation after generation succumbs to serpent. My life is a story of a human who has failed. So is yours. All reject and disobey God at some point, all save one.
When we get to Jesus of Nazareth, Luke introduces as “…the son of Adam, the son of God.” He’s the new Adam; the new leader; who can defeat the serpent.
In Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection, we see a man who fought relentlessly against the works of the devil, overcame them in all kinds of people, and never once did the serpent’s will.
Jesus never blamed anyone for his sin (because he never had sin!); instead, he took the blame of others on himself. That’s how he defeated the serpent.[5] He died on the cross to bear the blame and shame of his people, so that sin and the serpent could no longer separate his people from God.
MP: “Jesus took all our blame so God could heal all our shame.”
Because of Jesus, shame no longer controls; don’t need to find something/someone to blame.
B/C Jesus took our blame, we don’t have to try to sacrifice others for sins by blaming (or God); he already took our blame.
In this community: we have the freedom to be open and talk about our sins and failures with one another. We can expose them to God and one another and therefore God can heal us.
In the context of trust where we share with God and one another that God forgives and heals.
When that happens, Jesus starts undoing works of Satan before our eyes: We get restored intimacy with God instead of separation and with neighbor instead of separation.
Distrust severs intimacy. God uses trust and openness to renew it.
(When you sin, you end up not only distant from God but from community).
If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, Jesus is offering to take all your blame…
If you are a follower of Jesus, He is inviting you to confess your sin to God and others. Don’t run. Share with your spouse, your MC, your DNA.
Proverbs 28:13, Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Every time we sin, we find ourselves standing before God in the garden. Rather than pronouncing condemnation, he’s asking, “what have you done?” patiently pursuing you to return.
Conclusion:
We sit in history between Jesus’s first and second comings. He came once to defeat the serpent; he will come again to crush entirely. As we live and wait for Jesus, we continue fight against the influence of the serpent in this world. Oh, we want him to come back and rid the world of Satan and death forever.
Let’s go to the Lord together in prayer. Try to think of one thing God wants you to confess to him and to confess to someone else. You can do that now or you can do that later when the time is right…
Benediction
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Co 13:14.
[1] Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, vol. 1, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1987), 76.
[2] John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentary on Genesis., trans. Henry Beveridge, vol. 1 (BakerBooks, 2009), 165.
[3] John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, ed. Gary Lee (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 106.
[4] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition; Bible. English. NET Bible.; The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press, 2005).
[5] D. A. Carson, The God Who Is There: Finding Your Place in God’s Story (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2010), 37.
